Economy

Number of Employed on Steady Increase

The number of employed people in South Korea grew by more than 300-thousand for the sixth consecutive month in July.

According to the employment data by Statistics Korea on Wednesday, the number of people with jobs stood at 26-point-nine million last month, up 313-thousand from a year earlier.

However, the unemployment rate for young people slightly increased by one tenth of a percentage point from a year ago to nine-point-three percent.

Employment in the manufacturing sector increased for two straight months, but growth in the construction industry slowed in July.

An official at Statistics Korea said that employment in the manufacturing sector partly reflects a base effect from last year, but employment is increasing in major industries, including the auto industry, thanks to strong exports.